System and method of hydraulic mining



June 16, i931., H. L.. MEAD SYSTEM AND METHOD OF HYDRAULIC MINING Filed Sept. 15, i924 bkr/@PY ..Msm

INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY.

Patented June 16,1931 y PATENT'o'FFflcEz HARRY L. MEAmonBnEvs/'smna FLORIDA, Assierivon,trofA191'islaroiuqi CYANAMID come w PANY, or NEW Yoann. Y.,

A CORPQRATION or MAINE;

SYSTEM AND METHOD OF HYDRAULIC MINING Appneatien :nea september 15, 1924. semina 737,721.

This invention relates to mining, more particularly to an improved system and method of'hydraulic mining. v

Hydraulic mining is generally carried out by directing a streamoffwater under high pressure 'against the face of aclifl' or bank which is to be mined, the stream of water first dislodgin'g-the material and then carrying the same to asump or well from which it y' may be transported to other points for further treatment. Generally the mixture of'water and material is elevated by a pumping system to the ground level vwhere it passes thru various devices yfor purification, concentration,

grading, sizing and washing. 1

Water under high pressure isv directed against the face of the bank by means ofa nozzle. This water, however, tears down more rock than it cancarry away, the result being that the operator must intermittently divert the stream of high pressure water from the face ofthe cut and utilize the water to carry the rock and dbrisback to thesurnp, from which it may 4be `pumped to wherever needed. This is an expensive operation because high pressure water is used for an operation which may be carried out *by low pressure water.y p MyV invention is adapted to obviate the disadvantages ofthe p1'iore;system,; it being among the objects thereof to devise an im# proved system of f hydraulic mining which shall be simplein constructiomeasy to operate and-have an increased eciencyover the .systems ofthe prior art. l

Mining eiiiciency is'largely dependent upon ythe percentage of solids in the mixtures which are put thru the mining pumps. lIty is well `known that a mixture of 50% solids and 50% 40 water may be pumped using standard mining equipment. The problem has been, however,

toigetthefmined material to the sump insufficient quantities to, yield. such` a r`mixture.

When a new sump is started, on y'accountofi short ditches andsteep grades it isr often possible to approach the limit, but afterZthe-bank has receded a distance of over fifty feet from the sump the flatness of the grade of the ditches so reduces the transporting power of the water that not more than 25% solids exist@ in the mixture in the well; By'means of my l l present invention, I have found that I can increasethe percentage of solids to 40.

v In practicingfmy invention, I provide a source of high pressure'water and a pumping system 'wherebymaterial mayl be loosened from the face v-of the rock and afterwards elevated to the auxiliary treating apparatus. In the pumping systemI provide a device for extracting water lfreedfrom particles of material and return at least part of the same to the `face of the bank to be mined t'o assist the high pressure water inv transporting the material to thesump. k

In the 4 accompanying drawing, the single figure is a diagrammatic vertical, sectional -.view of a phosphate mine showing my iniproved system inplace.

' The mine consists essentially of bed rock 1 upon whichis found the valuable phosphate rock 2 to be mined. Generally the rock is covered by an overburden' 3,' the surface 4.- of which is the level of theground. Below the level of the rock 2 is a well or sump 5 in which amixture of material and water is allowed to accumulate. -c Inmining the roclnthe yoverburden is stripped off exposing the surface 6 of thephosphaterock 2. A source 7 -of-high vpressure `waterterminates in a nozzle 8 which is directed against face 9 of the rock-2 whereby material isfdislodged, some ofit being carried intol the su'rnpan'd a portion of it accumulating Vmass 10. e

at the'base ofthe rock in a A pipe v11 dips into the liquid mixture 12 in the sump 5' and communicates with the 1nlet of a centrifugal pump 13, the outletof VWhich directs the stream thru the line V14 to other". apparatus for further treatment. A

ide-wateringdevice 15in the line 14 has an outl'etpipel,terminating in a nozzle 1.7 suitable vregulating valve 18 is placedm the 'last named pipeline. `The de-watering device'lcconsists merely in an'enlarged chambenthe diameter .of which is several times that `of thepipe 14.- 2

Theoperation of my device is as follows: Water from high pressure nozzle 8 is .d1- rected against the face 9 of therock causing material to be dislodged therefrom andjto be carried into the sump 5. Low pressure pump 13 removes the mixture therefrom, some of the Water being removed by the cle-Watering device 15 and passed thru pipe 16 at a pressure lower than that of nozzle 8 to the nozzle 17, which is directed against the material 10 which has accumulated at the base of the rock, thereby carrying it into the sump. Valve 18 may be regulated to vary the amount of Water returned to the nozzle 17 in accordance With the amount ofV material 10 Which has accumulated. Y

Assume that Water is applied to the face of the phosphate rock thru the high pressure nozzle at 140 pounds nozzle pressure and at the rate of 2600 gallons per minute.- If I operate the device so as to return 800 gallons of Water per minute at 50 pounds nozzle pressure to the face of the phosphate rock, I have found that this returned Water together with that from the high pressure nozzle Willbe suiiicient to carry to the sump all the solids that the high pressure Water tears down. Thus I am relieved of the necessity of `using all high pressure Water for transporting solids previously dislodged.

IVhen theV system is inequilibrium, in the above cited'example, 2600 gallons per minute from the nozzle and S00 gallons of return Water from; the de-Waterer will be flowing into the sump, a total of 3400 gallons of mining Water. The discharge from the de- Waterer will be carrying awa-y2600 gallons of mining Water per minute and this 2600 gallons will carry thru pipe 14 all vthe s olids brought to the sump by the 3400 gallons. Thus I have increased the el'liciency of transportation of rock inthe ratio of eight to twenty-six or approximately 32%. That is, if the-amount of solids in the Water entering the Well is 25% the amount leaving the de- Waterer thru pipe 14 Will be approximately 33%.

. `My improved system has-many advantages over systems previously in use. I merely add to the apparatus a de-Watering device anda vvalve controlled pipe and nozzle. The entire system is simple-to operate and requires very little additional power, which may be measured by thejsmall difference between the level of the nozzle 17 andthe surface of the material 12 in the sump. By this means, I obtain a large increase in the percentage of solids carried out of the mine. I may vary the amount of wat-er returned tothe system Vto suit the conditions of mining; for instance,

if the distance between the rock 2vand the sump 5 is greater' or smaller I may return. more or less Water thereto thru pipe 16 by a regulation of the valve 1S, to carry into the sump the material 10, the amount of Which is roughly proportional to the distance of the face 9 of the rock from the sump' 5.

What I'claim is: I

1. In va system of hydraulic mining,

sump, a high pressure nozzle for directing material to said sump, a pump system for removing material from said sump, a de-Watering d-evice in the pump system, and means for utilizing Water from said pump system for directing material into said sump.

2. In a system of hydraulic mining, a sump, a high pressure nozzle ordirecting material to said sump, apump system for removing material from said sump, a de-Watering device in the pump system, means for utilizing Water from said pump system for directing material into said sump and means for regulating the amount of Water so utilized.

3. In `a system of hydraulic mining, a sump, a high pressure nozzle for directing material t0 said sump, la pump system for removing material from said sump, a` de- Watering device in the pump system, means for Yuntilizing Water from said pump system yfor directingA material into said sump, the amount of Water so utilizedbeing'at least 20% ofthe Water issuing from the high pressure nozzle. i 4l. A system of hydraulic mining compris inga pump` system for causing a mixture of material and Water to How into a sump, means for pumping said mixture toa remote point, means for reducing the velocity of How at an intermediate point to cause a partial separation of Water and material, means for conveying the separated material to said remote `point and means for conveying the separated Water'ior further useunder the pressure of the pump.

' 5. A method of hydraulic mining consisting Aof excavating material by a stream of Vhigh velocity, conveying'said' material by a stream of vlower velocity into a sump, discharging thei mixture of' material and Water through an apparatus by which a portion of the Water is removed, While still being kept under pressure, andthen utilizing said portion as part-of said mentioned stream of lou7 velocity. Y vv 6. A method of hydraulic mining which comprises directing a stream of Water against the material toY be mined, thesaid'stream be ing sufficient to dislodge more material than can be carried aivaythereby and directing another stream .to carry away such material, said second .stream being derived from the mixture of material and Water being carried away-and being under lessl pressure.

7. A method of hydraulic mining which comprises directing a stream of Water against thematerial to be mined, said streamv being suiiicient to dislodge more material than can be carried 'away thereby, causing the1v stream to ioW into a sump, pumping a mixture of Water' and material from the sump andre- 'turning part of the Water so pumped under pressure ofthe system to carry material into a the sump. Y i f 8. In a system of hydraulic mining, a sump, a high pressure nozzle, and a loW pressure nozzle supplied With fluid from the mixture being pumped from said sump, for directing material to said sump. d

9. In a system of hydraulic mining, a sump, a high pressure nozzle, and a 10W pressure nozzle supplied with Huid from the mixture being pumped from said sump, for directing material to said sump, the pressure of the streams issuing from the nozzles being above and below lbs. per sq. in. respectively. y

1-0. In a system of hydraulic mining, a sump, a high pressure nozzle, and a 10W pressure nozzle supplied with fluid from the mixture being pumped from said sump, for directing material to said'sump, the pressure of the streams issuing from said nozzles being about and 50 lbs, per sq. in. respectively.

11. In a system of hydraulic mining, a sump, a high pressure nozzle, and a loW pressure nozzle supplied With fluid from the mixture being pumped from saidsump, for directing material to said sump, the pressure of the streams issuing from said nozzles being about 140 and 50 lbs. per sq. in. respectively, and the ratio of the amounts of Water being about 25 t0 8.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name this tenth day of September, 1924.

HARRY L. MEAD. 

